


Drunk

by Its_Raineing_Words



Category: Red Dwarf
Genre: Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hangover, Heart-to-Heart, One Shot, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-18
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-25 09:21:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9812993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Its_Raineing_Words/pseuds/Its_Raineing_Words
Summary: Lister gets drunk for his birthday but when he wakes up, hungover, he has no idea why Rimmer seems to be so upset.





	

Lister didn’t remember most of his night; he knew he’d been drinking because it was his birthday yesterday. But fuck, he remembered now.

He stumbled through the door late into the night only to find the light already on and a very upset-looking Rimmer.   
“Oh hey, Rimsy.” Lister perked up for a second, “Any idea where my beer is? Kryten hid it.”   
“I do,” Rimmer said coldly, not moving a muscle.  
“You gonna tell me?” He slurred heavily, crashing into a chair which happened to be opposite Rimmer and his angry face.   
“Not only your life, milladdo. You’re sloshed.” He said, gesturing to Lister’s overall appearance; flushed cheeks, hazy eyes and clothes that were trying their level best to twist their way off of his body.  
“Oh whatever, Rimmer.” The Scouser grumbled, head slipping into his hands as his body began to wind down for the night. 

The last thing Lister remembered was his roommate saying something from what seemed like miles away and the sensation of a foreign heaviness around his shoulders. He opened his eyes at last and saw that there was a blanket around his shoulders, Rimmer must have gotten the scutters to put it on him.

Lister couldn’t see any sign of Rimmer as he looked blearily around the room, eyes barely making an attempt at being open. He saw the signs, though, a book left open on his bed-something boring-looking with no pictures. He managed to get up and look for the hologram after a while, and as he stumbled down the corridor while leaning heavily on the wall for support, Lister tried to rack his brain for where he could be, but he was in no state to be using his brain at the moment. 

Eventually, Lister made his way over to Kryten who was ironing Lister’s socks.  
“Hiya, Krytes. Have you seen Rimmer about?”   
“Well…” The mechanoid hummed thoughtfully, “yes but he was looking pretty glum.”  
“I just need to talk to him, man. Where did he go?”  
“I can’t be sure, but he did head off in the direction of the observation deck, you might want to give there a try.” He replied, turning back to his ironing.   
Lister didn’t bother to say anything else, instead hurrying off to the observation deck where he hoped Rimmer was. 

Kryten had been right, and Rimmer was indeed on the observation deck, looking sorry for himself even with his back turned. He hesitated before speaking, not to think of what to say but because he was dreading the conversation.  
“I’m sorry,” He decided on saying and the words made the hologram jump.   
Rimmer seemed to collect himself quickly though because the venom in his words made Lister want to take a step back, “Do you even know what you should be sorry for?”   
“Yes!” He cried out, indignant, then quieter, “Well, sort of...ish.”   
“Trust you to try to make an apology without an iota of a clue as to what it should be in regards to, goit.”   
“You could always tell me, you know. Then I could apologise properly.” Lister pointed out, not wanting to antagonise his roommate any more than he already had that day.   
“Alright, then, if you really want to know...it’s because you didn’t invite me. I know that you went out and got drunk by yourself. Again. You never include me.”  
“I didn’t include Krytes or Cat either; you’re being unfair!”   
“But that isn’t the same. I know why you wanted to be alone; you wanted to wallow in being the last human alive. Well, I’m human too!” Rimmer looked stricken all of a sudden, “O-or I was at least...you could have let me wallow too.”   
Lister sighed, “You’re right. I’m sorry, I just didn’t think to invite you.”  
“No, I understand. Just...next time?” He looked very young at that moment, and Lister felt himself feeling sorrier for his annoying roommate than he ever remembered feeling. 

Lister looked away from Rimmer, and out into the vast blackness of space, it still shocked him even after this time, he never got used to just how endless it was. Looking out into space had always helped him settle his mind even when he was no-good kid roaming the streets of Liverpool at night. It helped him again this time as he tried to think of a way to make it up to Rimmer this time.  
“You know what?” Lister asked and didn’t wait for a reply, “We don’t need it to be my birthday to have a nice piss up together.”  
“We’re not doing any drinking for a while, matey.”   
“Why not?” He whined.   
“You got plastered last night, what you need is a nice healthy meal and some water, not more alcohol,” Rimmer said, and Lister would have assumed he was being snarky but given their previous conversation he decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.  
“Alright, how about Tuesday?”  
Rimmer smiled, and Lister realised he hadn’t seen that in a while, “I’d like that a lot.”


End file.
